Sufficient and equitable resources in all public schools, so that every child can receive a high-quality education.

Improving schools rather than closing them, by means of evidence-based solutions backed by parents and other stakeholders.

Less standardized testing and more reliable accountability and assessment practices.

Programs that encourage the retention of professional, experienced teachers.

A full range of parent involvement opportunities, including a stronger parent voice in decision making at the school, district, state, and national levels;

The right of parents to opt their children out of standardized tests.

I wholeheartedly agree with what they want. However, before this list there is a strong call for less privatization, less support for charter schools. Having taught in several charter schools I find myself a bit hurt. Not only am I pulled emotionally by the abuse of teachers in the media, but now charter schools. I think people need to look closer at what does work in education.

I do not support the major push towards charter schools – because they are not the correct solution to our current public education problem. I agree that the appalling organizations set up to gain a profit from the educational system should not be allowed to do such things. I agree with many of the points in The Myth of Charter Schools. But having taught and loved the charter schools I taught at, I find the bashing of charter schools unfair. (I find most universal bashing unfair.)

I chose the schools I taught at very carefully. In fact, the list above contains many of the things I looked for in a school and the school’s administration -both public and charter. The key component of ANY good education involves parents. I loved my charter schools because I knew and worked with my students’ parents. They were an integral part of the school.

Charter schools are not the panacea – they were a solution parents, students and teachers sought for because they did not find and were struggling to create what they were looking for in public education. I see charter schools as a questioning of the system.

The system needs to change. But all stakeholders need to look at the qualities that make a good school. There are many charter schools who do make a difference because they embrace and consistently seek after those good qualities. There are many public schools who make a difference because they embrace and consistently seek after those good qualities.

Why can’t we take the quality research we have and build a system from the ground up?